Summer 2025 - CA 142 OL01
Music Appreciation in the 21st Century (3)
Class Number: 3182
Delivery Method: Online
Overview
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
21st Century Music Appreciation aims to develop a critical ear and advanced listening skills. The course will take a post-modern approach to appreciation in that it will present a diversity of music from many cultures, styles, and periods in an effort to discover similarities, differences, and defining characteristics. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
CA 142: Music Appreciation in the 21st Century is a post-modern course in music appreciation. Importantly, it is a course of music appreciation for the 21st century, not of the 21st century; in other words, we will be listening and discussing many more works beyond the last two decades.
All this will be done without any necessary previous knowledge of music theory, music history, or even the ability to read music.
Topics include: Melody; Harmony; Rhythm; Texture; Form and Structure; Song; Timbre; Storytelling; Technology; Dance Music; Political Music; Sacred Music; Function; Improvisation; Women in Music; Media; Style; Background Music; Appropriation; Aesthetics
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
You will develop a critical ear and advanced listening skills through the presentation of a diversity of music from many cultures, styles, and periods, in an effort to discover similarities, differences, and defining characteristics.
You will build your Music Appreciation repertoire around basic style characteristics such as rhythm, harmony, melody, timbre, and texture. We will cover such general topics as form, song, political music, technology, story telling, background music, sacred music, improvisation, dance music, women in music, and others.
Furthermore, you will develop critical listening skills, or the ability to understand and discuss music on a more informed level. Maybe you will understand better about why you may like a certain style of music, and why you may not like another style as much. And in the process, I'll introduce you to some music that may have similar characteristics, which you may then also enjoy and understand better.
Grading
- Online Quizzes 25%
- Live Music Review 20%
- Assignments 35%
- Online Take-Home Exam 20%
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
All music is available online within Canvas
REQUIRED READING:
There is no required text. All readings are included in the course material found in the individual study units within the course website. This website, Canvas, is accessible only to you, other CA 142 students, your TA, and the course instructor.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.